1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power miter saws, and more particularly to a safety cover for such miter saws which may cover the saw blade as fully as possible even during operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such miter saws may include a miter saw unit pivotally connected to a support base for pivotal movement between a raised rest position and a lowered operational position. The saw unit includes an electric motor which rotatably drives a circular saw blade; and a blade case which partially encases the saw blade. For safety reasons, a safety cover is pivotally mounted on the blade case for covering the saw blade. The safety cover is mounted in a manner such that it will be swung clear of the saw blade upon its engagement with a workpiece when the saw unit is lowered to its operational position. Typical prior art devices of this general type are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,821,918 and 3,994,192.
In such prior art saws, however, the safety cover is swung upon its engagement with the workpiece when the saw is pivoted from its rest position to its operational position. In other words, the safety cover is pivoted indirectly through the workpiece, so that the movement of the safety cover is inconstant depending on the condition of the workpiece, thus lacking in smoothness and reliability. Especially, during angular cutting operation, a cut-off portion or chip of the workpiece, being unfixed or free on the support base, can often engage the safety cover, causing the latter to turn upwardly to expose a portion of the saw blade. Furthermore, as the safety cover is simply spring biased for pivotal movement relative to the blade case, it can be manually pivoted by the operator even in a normal operating condition. This is disadvantageous from the standpoint of safety.